Symphony Hopes to Start Outdoor Tradition

In a modest effort to start a Hollywood Bowl tradition in Orange County, the Pacific Symphony will appear twice this weekend at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine.

Music director Keith Clark will lead a “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” tonight at 8:30, then turn over the baton to conductor Ralph Sharon, who will direct the orchestra as back-up for Tony Bennett on Saturday.

In tonight’s concert, Clark will offer a Tchaikovsky’s greatest hits program that includes “Marche slave,” the “Romeo and Juliet” Overture, the Piano Concerto No. 1. with soloist Daniel Pollack and the ever popular “1812” Overture, complete with cannons and fireworks.

The First Division Marine Band will also be on hand to perform when the gates open at 6 p.m. to allow patrons to picnic on the grounds Hollywood Bowl-style. (The Marines provided the cannons for the “1812” Overture.)

Pacific Symphony executive director Louis Spisto said the symphony has obtained a permit from local fire departments for the fireworks at the end of the “1812” Overture.

“Plenty of (fire department) officials will be on hand so that the fireworks don’t present a hazard to the area or to any individuals,” Spisto said. “The fireworks will be shot from a fair distance from the audience, but will be very visible.”

Originally, three Pacific Symphony concerts had been announced in Irvine Meadows ads. A “Classic Favorites Under the Stars” program had been listed for Aug. 20, but plans for the Thursday program were later dropped.

“It wasn’t financially realistic (to do three programs) for the first year,” Spisto said when the series was announced in July.

“We didn’t want to make a large financial commitment to either too many nights or weekends until we could really define what the interest level is.”

According to Spisto, more than 5,500 seats were sold by midweek, with more orders coming in each day. “Our break-even (point is) just over 6,000. . . . If the weather holds--and we’re keeping our fingers crossed--we’ll be well on our way to a great success.”

Additionally, a special seating area with dining tables at the front of the stage has sold out at $100 apiece.

“We (even) have a waiting list (for those seats),” Spisto said. “What we would like next year--if we do continue--is to have more seats available, at perhaps lower than a $100 price.”

Spisto said that public response has made it “very realistic to think about planning a concert series at Irvine Meadows for next year. We’d like to do several weekends. But we have to figure out what is the right number and the proper configuration for each weekend.”

Plans for the summer season will be announced later in the fall.

Steve Rennie, vice president of Avalon Attractions which is promoting the event, said: “This is our first experience with a symphony orchestra. We expected from the beginning it would be a building process. . . . (But) we’d like to see it expand. We want to see it happen again next year.